Slitterhead – directed by Japan Studio veteran Keiichiro Toyama – looks like a religious successor to Siren, Gravity Rush, and Soul Sacrifice all on the identical time. This ingenious, uncommon survival horror is way from good, with inconsistent visuals, repetition, and a few unrefined gameplay programs. However in the event you’ve been lamenting the lack of PlayStation’s oddball first-party output, that is the closest you’re going to get to it.
You play as an ambiguous, all-powerful spirit named Hyoki, able to possessing people and commandeering their our bodies. A illness is ravaging a fictional reimagining of Nineteen Eighties Hong Kong, remodeling the general public into the eponymous Slitterheads. All you actually know is that you simply wish to wipe these monstrosities out, and so you start body-hopping via the neighborhood to be taught extra in regards to the menace – and convey it down.
The story unfolds over a sequence of days in a handful of small, sandbox-style environments. As you progress, you’ll revisit these ranges repeatedly at varied completely different instances. You may freely possess most people you encounter, and this performs into the sport’s traversal; if it’s worthwhile to attain a rooftop, for instance, chances are you’ll achieve this by inhabiting somebody standing out on their balcony after which working your means up.
Whereas it’s not similar, this method will remind you of Gravity Rush. You may leap off buildings after which dispossess your present host simply earlier than they hit the bottom, switching to a different unsuspecting particular person to maneuver ahead unscathed. Some chase sequences, that are clumsily executed however cool in idea, see you shortly switching between a string of people to maintain up tempo together with your goal. There’s even an compulsory stealth system, the place you physique hop to keep away from detection.
However there are contrivances to make sure the mechanic works. Hyoki’s motion is proscribed, for instance, so you may’t float off eternally in search of new hosts. Equally, the spirit usually finds himself blocked by man-made constructions, like doorways. In some missions, you’ll end up trying to find open home windows with a view to progress. Whereas we perceive there needed to be limitations with a view to create some extent of issue, it feels a bit bit like the principles are all the time bending to satisfy the necessities of the sport.
That is equally true if you attempt to possess a sure one who would simply get you to the place it’s worthwhile to be, however they’re inexplicably unavailable. The sport desires you to play it precisely because it’s been designed a number of the time, and that usually leaves little room for experimentation or drawback fixing.
It’s a disgrace as a result of, in fight, the sport’s truly empowers you to discover your personal methods. All through the story you’ll encounter Rarities, people you possess who resonate notably strongly with Hyoki. Not like the opposite folks you inhabit, these include distinctive abilities and weapons, and could be completely added to your roster. Tri, a housekeeper, has a pair of bladed oven gloves, for instance – whereas Alex, a health care provider, is armed with a large syringe.
You may normally take two Rarities right into a mission with you, and whereas some do require you to pick a selected character for plot causes, normally you’ll be free to combine and match. This supplies loads of room for experimentation, as a result of glass cannons just like the homeless alcoholic Edo could be paired with healers such because the comfort retailer employee Julee. Every character could be upgraded individually, and comes with distinctive abilities to help you in battle.
The fight may be very janky, however it makes use of the possession mechanic well. You’ll usually discover the surroundings populated with human fodder, and you’ll possess these folks to attract consideration away out of your Rarities, then swap again to take out your targets. You’ll get a small offensive increase every time you hop our bodies, and naturally it provides you the flexibility to maneuver to extra advantageous positions. Blood could be sopped up from the bottom to recuperate well being.
There’s rather a lot happening right here, and generally the data is buried in tutorial menus. However it makes for a singular fight system not like the rest you’ve ever performed. One character can drop a blood vortex onto the stage, for instance, sucking foes in; you may then swap to an unimportant human, prime them for detonation, run into the center of aforementioned maelstrom, and possess a distinct physique earlier than they explode.
There’s a counter system which sees you utilizing the suitable analogue keep on with time parries, which provides a bit extra depth to the one-on-one fight. Whereas the animations and contacts by no means fairly really feel strong sufficient to make this an ideal motion sport, the team-building programs and physique hopping mechanics make it ingenious and distinctive. It’s fairly a troublesome expertise on the usual issue, so that you’ll have to benefit from all of the instruments obtainable to you to progress.
Our greatest criticism actually is that all of it turns into a bit repetitive at instances. You’ll have to replay sure ranges to find Rarities required to progress the plot, and these phases could be padded with overly lengthy chase sequences, which do put on out their welcome quick.
Equally, it’s fairly a low-budget expertise, with visible novel parts used to additional the story and a few fairly unhealthy human fashions. The general artwork path is phenomenal, leaning into real-life areas like Hong Kong’s notorious Monster Constructing and making them the star of the haunting architectural artwork – however it’s a sport that has higher environments than character designs. The soundtrack, in the meantime, composed by the timeless Akira Yamaoka, is a masterpiece all through.
Conclusion
Irritating at instances however fearlessly ingenious, Slitterhead is an absolute must-play in the event you’re in search of an authentic tackle the survival horror style. Serving as a religious successor to fan favourites like Siren, Gravity Rush, and Soul Sacrifice, this haunting story a few body-hopping spirit – who makes use of people as fodder to place a cease to the eponymous enemy – is a scintillating albeit often undercooked debut from Bokeh Recreation Studios. Repetition and an general lack of refinement do carry it down, however you’ll be hard-pushed to discover a extra imaginative expertise this yr.
